Sweden government reaches deal to avert snap election

Sweden’s minority centre-left government on Saturday announced it has reached a deal with the opposition that will avert what would have been the country’s first snap elections in more than half a century. Prime Minister Stefan Loefven announced the deal with the centre-right opposition coalition at a press conference. Earlier this month he had called early elections after a small far-right party with the balance of power in parliament, the Sweden Democrats, torpedoed his fledgeling government’s budget. “Thanks to the agreement we have found enabling a minority government to govern, the government will not organise early elections,” Loefven said.